Ethan Crossfield 
Players deciding whether Phantom Blade Zero belongs on their launch-week radar now have a clear signal: S-GAME’s Wuxia action RPG has reached Steam’s top 10 Popular Upcoming Games list before release. The game launches digitally on October 28 for Steam, the Epic Games Store, and PlayStation 5.
What changed on Steam
Phantom Blade Zero ranked among Steam’s 10 most popular upcoming titles on October 18, placing alongside larger releases and a varied mix of indie games. The placement does not reveal confirmed preorder numbers, but it shows the game is generating meaningful attention ahead of launch. S-GAME had previously said that more than three million players had added Phantom Blade Zero to wish lists across its available storefronts. That figure is not the same as sales, and exact prerelease sales data has not been announced.
Who the game may appeal to
The game follows Soul, a roaming fighter given 66 days to investigate a conspiracy before his life runs out. Its setting combines Wuxia themes with a demon-filled dark fantasy world, while combat is built around fast martial-arts action. Players can access more than 30 weapons and 20 Phantom Edges. While its footage and combat style may remind players of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice or Devil May Cry, S-GAME has said Phantom Blade Zero is not designed as a Souls-like and will offer several difficulty choices.
What to check before launch
PC players should pay particular attention to performance expectations. Phantom Blade Zero uses Unreal Engine 5, supports ray tracing, and includes Nvidia DLSS upscaling. According to the developer, DLSS can help older hardware such as an RTX 3060 Ti target 1440p at 60 frames per second. Path tracing at 4K with DLSS, however, will require substantially newer hardware, with the RTX 5080 cited as an example. The game will also ship with Denuvo anti-tamper technology, a point some PC players may want to monitor through launch-day testing.
What players should know
- Phantom Blade Zero launches digitally on October 28 for Steam, Epic Games Store, and PS5.
- It entered Steam’s top 10 Popular Upcoming Games list on October 18.
- S-GAME has reported more than three million wish lists across storefronts, but has not disclosed prerelease sales.
- The game offers multiple difficulty settings rather than following a strict Souls-like structure.
- Weapons can be reforged, though maintaining upgrades across multiple weapons requires materials.
Expert View
Steam visibility and a large reported wishlist total suggest Phantom Blade Zero has broken through before release, especially for a new action RPG competing in a busy season. Still, chart placement is an interest indicator rather than proof of launch success. Players drawn to stylish combat and Wuxia fantasy should follow early reviews and PC performance reports, particularly because of the game’s ambitious visual features and Denuvo implementation.
